StoryCorps Shorts: Driven

Frank Scott (FS): He started racing in 1952.

And you know, it was like Picasso.

Like a great artist doing his work.

And he was in that car, and he was doing his work.

But, you know, he couldn't get the support.

Where other drivers that we were competing against had major sponsorships, he did everything that he did out of his own pocket.

And as children we didn't have that leisure time, you know, we couldn't go to the playground.

He said to us, "I need you at the garage."

I can remember him getting injured and he'd just take axle grease and put it in the cut and keep working.

But he wasn't allowed to race at certain speedways.

He had death threats not to come to Atlanta.

And Daddy said, "Look.

If I leave in a pine box, that's what I gotta do.

But I'm gonna race."

I can remember him racing in Jacksonville and he beat them all.

But they wouldn't drop the checkered flag.

And then when they did drop the checkered flag, they had my father in 3rd place.

One of the main reasons that they gave was there was a white beauty queen and they always kissed the driver.

He finally got the money, but, ah, of course, the trophy was gone, the fans were gone, the beauty queens were gone.

(WS): Did he ever consider not racing anymore?

FS: Never.

That was one of my daddy's sayings, "When it's too tough for everybody else, it's just right for me."

Like I can remember one time when we were racing the Atlanta 500 and, um, he was sick.

He needed an operation.

And I said, "Daddy, we don't have to race today."

He whispered to me and said, "Lift my legs up and put me in the car."

He drove 500 miles that day.

He always felt like someday he's gonna get his big break.

But, uh, for twenty years nobody mentioned Wendell Scott.

But he didn't let it drive him crazy.

I think that's what made him so great.

He chose to be a race car driver and he was going to race until he couldn't race no more.